Superhero of the day: Where Silence Has Lease

     Today we are going to talk about one of the most powerful characters in the DC Universe.  A hero with such a destructive ability that his real ability is the lengths he goes to not use it accidentally or really at all.

Origin

Black Bolt is the child of two of Attilan’s top geneticists, Agon, head of the ruling Council of Genetics, and Rynda. Subjected to the mutagenic Terrigen Mist while still an embryo, Bolt was born with strange powers surpassing even the average Inhumans’. As an infant, he demonstrated certain energy-manipulative powers that he couldn't control, particularly that of producing quasi-sonic energy of great destructive potential. To protect the other Inhumans, he was placed inside a sound-proofed chamber and given an energy-harnessing suit. There he was schooled on how to control his powers until the age of nineteen, when he was allowed to enter society.

A month after being awarded his freedom, Black Bolt discovered that his younger brother Maximus had made a pact with emissaries of the Kree. While attempting to stop the Kree ship before it escaped, Bolt used the power of his quasi-sonic voice to knock the ship out of the sky. When the ship crashed to Earth, it landed on the parliament, killing several key members of the Council of Genetics, including his parents. The reverberations of Bolts shout affected Maximus’ sanity and suppressed his nascent mental powers. Despite his guilt and silent protests, Black Bolt was obligated to accept the mantle of leadership of the Inhumans at age twenty.

Black Bolt turned out to be a fair and just ruler.  At one point he was killed by the Incrediblr Hulk, but it turned out that Black Bolt had been replaced by an alien imposter.  I don't know if this was planned or a result of fan outrage to killing off the character.  For many of us, the phrase "Black Bolt always wins"

Powers

Black Bolt has the ability to unleash great destructive power through the use of his voice, but even the slightest whisper will release his power. Therefore, for the most part, he remains silent. This "quasi-sonic" scream is powered by electron energy that he draws in from the environment. At maximum the force is equal to that caused by the detonation of a nuclear weapon. Other possible manifestations of this harnessed electron energy include electron energy blasts, flight, enhanced strength (the "Master Blow" being a superhuman punch), ability to survive in space, and the ability to analyze and manipulate matter. The fork-shaped antenna that Black Bolt has worn upon his brow since childhood enable him to channel his powers in more directed, less destructive ways. Due to the fear of speaking while sleeping, Black Bolt practices a form of meditation, which may also help to enhance his abilities.

More on Marvel.com: http://marvel.com/universe/Black_Bolt#ixzz3iDzxKDyA

Through the combination of integrity, power, and the loyalty of his subjects, Black Bolt has taken on alien armies, wannabe gods, and cosmic tyrants.  Like all leaders he is plagued with making difficult decisions that affect the lives of his people.  He can also level an entire city.

If Wolvrine is the best there is at what he does, and as we explored yesterday, that's being a jerk and smelling like beer. Black Bolt is his polar opposite.  He is wise, considers his community, fights for the rights of his people, and shows restraint so that hi powers do not accidentally hurt anyone.  Black Bolt is probably a role model, a character that kids should consider more often.

In my book Black Bolt always wins.